UMTS is a wireless communication method which has been standardized and which is currently being deployed. The corresponding standards, in particular 3GPP TS 25.308 Version 5.2.0, March 2002, and 3GPP TS 25.321 V5.2.0 September 2002, concerning various extension of UMTS , i.e. High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and the MAC protocol specification, respectively, are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Other wireless standards, such as IEEE 802.11 are designed to enable mobile devices, such as mobile telephones, laptop computers, headsets, and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), to communicate with each other and a wired LAN (Local Area Network). Such mobile devices are capable of transferring between wireless LANs (WLANs), and some mobile devices can transfer between different types of wireless networks (e.g., a WLAN and a cellular mobile telecommunications network). Such transfers typically require establishing a new connection with the new WLAN for the mobile device making the transfer. These technologies provide for a common attachment approach for different mobile devices, and so enables mobile phones, laptops, headsets, PDAs and other devices to be easily networked in the office and eventually in public locations. Standards, such as the IEEE 802.11 (Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers) and ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) HIPERLAN/2, provide wireless connection function and may be used to support WLAN (wireless LAN) communications. See the IEEE 802.11 “Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer Specifications,” the entire teachings of which are herein incorporated by reference. See also the ETSI specifications for HIPERLAN/2, such as ETSI document number TR 101 683, “Broadband Radio Access Networks (BRAN); HIPERLAN Type 2; System Overview,” the entire teachings of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Some mobile devices also have the capability of moving among different types of wireless communication networks, such as between a WLAN network (Bluetooth or IEEE 802.11, as described above) and a mobile telecommunications network, such as one based on a mobile telephone communication protocol (e.g., CMTS or cellular mobile telephone system, GSM or Global System for Mobile communications, PCS or Personal Communications Services, or UMTS or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System).
For example, the mobile device (e.g., laptop computer or PDA) includes communications interfaces (e.g., communications hardware and software) that allow the mobile device to communicate with two (or more) different types of wireless networks. Typically, when the mobile device moves to access a different type of wireless network, the current communication session with the current wireless network terminates, and the mobile device establishes a new communication session (new communication) with the newly accessed wireless network.
The present invention aims to provide an improved telecommunication method in order to enable improved usage of mobile devices supporting such multiple air interfaces. In particular, the present invention aims to provide an improved radio network controller and an improved node of a radio access network.